Slayers: Finale
by Charvale
Summary: When an earthquake destroys the village of Zelgadis's birth, it's up to Lina, Gourry, and Amelia to head out and rescue their friend. Along the way, the run into the ever enigmatic Xellos, who's secret might get them all killed on this adventure.


**Slayers: Finale**

With the ever present cloth covering over his nose and lower face, his hood up to cover the rest of his head, Zelgadis walked slowly through the former village of his birth. Seeing how the people had gone on with their lives in the ten years since he'd ran away, only to become his great-grandfather's pawn. His eyes narrowed as the sun glimmered off his silver hair, the soft blue stone skin covered for the most part while he kept his hands within his cloak. The aroma of freshly baked breads mixed with the soft scents of freshly tilled earth, and various farm animals. Children ran, laughing and playing while the older people went about their lives. For a moment he took solace in the knowledge that he and his friends had managed to defeat three incarnations of demon god Shabrinigdo. Not to mention Darkstar, Gaav and Valgaav, Hellmaster Phibrizzo, Seigram, and even Zaniffar, while bringing the world close to utter destruction time and again.

'_If they only knew..._' he thought to himself just as a young boy ran around the corner of a building.

Lost in his own thoughts, the chimera couldn't move out of the way in enough time before the young child ran into his legs. Falling onto his backside, the child rubbed at his nose. "Ow. Sorry mister..." the young boy said looking up at the stranger.

"It's alright," Zel remarked giving the boy a rare smile, "just be more careful."

The sight of a young girl running around the corner with her entire upper body soaked made the traveler smile under his mask, in spite of himself. "Oh! I'm going to get you!" within a matter of moments the young boy was up, and Zelgadis stepped to the side. The two ran off with Zelgadis watching them go, that small smile still on his face as the young girl shouted with her hands balled into fists.

'_I remember..._' he thought silently as he stepped around the building the two children had run past.

_Flashback_

"I'm going to get you, Zelgadis!" the teenage girl said as he laughed. He looked back at the anger in her eyes, the shoulder length black hair whipping around her shoulders. Running away from the field where the two of them had been playing all morning, he stuck his tongue out at her, pulling down the lower lid of his right eye. A moment later a dirt clod flew at him, and the young boy ducked without breaking stride.

"You always did throw too high, Eris!" he called back with a laugh. His feet skidded on the soft earth of the main road, and yet he pumped his arms and legs without slowing. Laughing uproariously, he felt the wind in his face as he looked around at the people of the village. Zel new them all, and they knew him better than their own children. He looked from the baker to the weaver and blacksmith. All of them laughed at the young boy, feeling the infectious joy that he seemed intent on giving.

That all stopped the moment the pain started.

His laughter became a cough, and then another. The young boy clutched at his chest just as the world swirled around him. Falling forward, he tumbled into the dirt while his babysitter screamed out. "Zelgadis!" He rolled for what seemed like an eternity, his white shirt and dark brown pants becoming stained by the dirt. When he stopped, the young boy tried to lift himself up, but the pain hit him harder, and Eris, dressed in a simple blue dress with a white corset crouched down next to him.

After what seemed like an eternity, he managed to push himself up into a sitting position, his body wracked by a coughing fit as thick, dark green and black mucus came out of his mouth. Eris reached down to wrap her arms around him, her hand rubbing and lightly patting his back in a soothing manner. "You overexerted yourself again..." she said as he coughed more, the same black and green coming out, "we have to get you home."

Sitting there, shaking, the young boy looked up at the maiden as nearly half a dozen people came over to help the noble. A penetrating cold started in the pit of his stomach, while his lungs burned, his legs unable to move. The pain that assaulted him caused tears to glitter his eyes, but it was the fear that truly caused the young boy to cry. "Eris... What's... happening...?" he asked her through coughs, trembling as he saw the look of fear in the teenager's eyes.

"You... You need to get back to the manor house..." Eris said softly, her brown eyes full of concern as she tried to help the preteen boy up. "Come on." she said softly while an older woman and the blacksmith helped her to stand Zelgadis up, "We'll take you home so that you can take your medicine."

"No!" Zelgadis snapped defiantly, "I don't want to take that horrible stuff!" Tears fell freely, "I hate the taste... and it doesn't do any good!" Another coughing fit started and it was only because of the villagers that he was able to stay on his feet at all.

"You have to take your medicine, Zelgadis." Eris said softly, tears coming to her eyes, and then falling over her cheeks, "It's... It's the only thing that..."

When the coughing fit subsided, Zel looked up at her. "I... I don't want to hurt anymore..." he said, shaking as he cried, "I... I don't... I want to live a normal life..." shaking the tears from his cheeks because the others held him up by his arms, he suddenly snapped his head up defiantly, glaring at Eris. "I... I want to be strong!" Eris could see the determination in those words, could see the desire, and the pain mixed into that defiance. Seconds later it turned into another coughing fit, with more green and black coming out of his mouth.

'_He's only a boy... barely ten... but the doctors... he might not make it another ten years..._' Eris thought, as she reached out for him. Wrapping her arms around him, she held his slight weight on her upper body. Looking up, she gave each of the people who'd helped a smile, "Thank you. He... I'll take him to his room."

"I don't want to go..." Zelgadis said softly, and yet she could tell from his weak arms and legs, that the young boy wouldn't be able to fight her if she did take him home.

Eris leaned back, holding Zelgadis up with her hands under his arms. "I know you don't," she said softly, her heart practically breaking as she looking into his eyes, "but you need to lay down." Moving around to where she supported Zel on her back, she leaned forward and wrapped her hands under his thighs, supporting the young boys weight as she slowly walked down the road.

"I... I don't like my medicine..." he suddenly said, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"How about I promise to read you your favorite story, f you take your medicine without another complaint?" she suggested.

Zelgadis didn't say anything for several seconds as the fourteen year old girl continued to head down the dirt road. "I... can it be about the warrior who slew the beast Zannifar?"

Eris nodded, smiling. "Yes. What do you say?"

"Will... will the medicine make me stronger?" he suddenly asked, his voice soft as he nuzzled into her neck, clearly enjoying the ride.

"You will be stronger Zelgadis. That I promise you."

"Well... okay..."

Standing there, looking at the small play yard where he and Eris had spent nearly five years, child and babysitter, together, he thought back to nearly four years ago and how she had attempted to kill him and his friends with a copy of Rezzo. Although he could understand her reason for seeing the dead priest, the way she went about it, and the way she had died still left a sour taste in the back of his throat. "Eris..." the word was out of his mouth before he'd even realized he'd spoken. Stepping toward the yard he could see that not much had changed in the past ten or so years.

The area still was a mix of turned earth and grass, as well as a fence running most of the perimeter while the tree... when he looked he saw a small sapling starting to grow where, the tree that had been there before was cut down almost five years previously... by him. Walking up, he lightly ran his hard fingers over the leaves of the small tree, it's height barely past his nose. "Excuse me, young man. Are you lost?"

Turning around at the sound of the voice, Zelgadis saw an older woman looking at him. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, the chimera spoke softly. "I'm sorry. I... grew up in this village... and I was just... wondering how much had changed over the time I've been gone"

"Oh, nothing changes in this village." the old woman said with a smile, "About the only thing I think could ever be considered exciting was when a strange creature appear in the village about ten years ago." the woman then shook her head, "Since that day, everything has been quiet and routine."

Zelgadis nodded slowly, not wanting to give away who he was. "Whatever happened to the Greywords Manor?" he asked.

The woman's eyes widened in shock, "Why would you be wanting to know about that haunted place?" she asked.

"I'm... just a traveling warrior and shaman" he said through the face mask, "I had heard a rumor, and came to see if there was any truth to it, that's all."

"No surprise there. Ever since the only son of the Greywords mysteriously disappeared, that place has been cursed." she then reached up, wiping a tear from her eye, "It was too bad too. He was always a kind boy, with a welcome smile, and a laugh that would make you want to hug him."

Zelgadis actually felt uncomfortable at the woman's description. "What happened to him?" he asked, wondering what rumors had been spread around.

"Nobody knows." she said, "He was always so sick, and yet could make you smile with his uplifting spirit. The only thing anyone seems to know is that he went out into the woods one day to try training with a sword that had been forged for him... and he never returned."

"What... happened to the Greywords?" Zel asked, a little worried about what he might find out about his parents. "Surely his family didn't just let him go that easily."

"Oh no. The entire family spent their last coin to find him, hiring bounty hunters, and the odd adventurer to search for their son." she shook her head again, "Although there were some reports over the years that said he was still alive, most of them turned out to be nothing but rumors. His mother could barely sleep, never ate except when forced. Eventually, she went into his old room, and while holding one of his stuffed animal, she simply passed away."

Zelgadis felt his heart being wrenched from his chest as he listened. Over the course of his life, he'd always considered his mother above reproach, and had loved her the most out of all his family. "I wish... I had known..." he said softly, feeling guilty about never writing to them and letting his parents know that he was alive, regardless of the changes to his body.

Clearly the woman hadn't heard him, because she continued as if nothing had happened. "Lord Greywords went mad from grief and took to drinking every night. After several months, he left the tavern one night, and wasn't seen for a week. He was found in his manor house, laying in his son's bed. He'd died of a heart attack that night, with his hand on the very chair his wife had died sitting within."

Zelgadis looked up at the house, '_Mother... Father..._' he thought to himself.

"Some say that a monster killed their son, and decided to come back in order to kill them as well, but I think that their son just fell and died in the woods." she looked up at the house on the hill. "Either way, the manor house has remained empty for the past six years. Nobody wants to take ownership of the house, or the land. Many say it's cursed."

'Six years?' he thought, 'Almost the same time I met Lina and Gourry.' He stood there, looking at the manor house, his original home before being transformed into a chimera. "I'll just head into the manor and make sure it's not cursed."

For a brief second the older woman's eyes widened, "I beg you. Don't go in there. Too many have had tragedy strike after entering that place."

Turning to look at the older woman, Zelgadis shook his head with a smile. "Don't worry. I have a feeling the only monsters in the manor are a bad case of dust bunnies."

"Be careful, young man!" the woman called out, and yet she didn't try to follow, as fear crossed her vision at the sight of the manor.

Walking past the woman, his cloak fluttering in the breeze the slender young man strolled up the earthen road toward the entrance of the three level house. 'I really should pay my respects to my parents.' he thought to himself, 'Besides, I've wanted to see how my old home has fared since I saw it last, a decade ago.' Keeping his hand off the hilt of his sword, Zelgadis moved past building after building, his eyes only on the building looming before him.

Even as the white enshrouded chimera walked toward the hill his ancestral house sat upon, a young man leaned out of an alleyway, watching him for a few minutes. Spiked dark brown hair, clipped short on the sides and back rippled in the breeze, as the chocolate brown eyes watched the man ascending the hill. His face was that of a young teenager, while those dark green eyes narrowed at the man's back. A brown robe was left open to expose most of the toned chest and abdomen on his slender frame, while a pair of cream colored, loose fitting pants were his only other clothing. After watching the warrior disappear into the manor, he stepping back into the shadows.

**EARTHQUAKE! A NEW THREAT ARISES...**

Everyone in the royal palace of Saiyruun seemed to be running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Some carried scrolls, and some maps, but all seemed to have the same destination in mind. Prince Philionel Saiyruun stood in the center, directing everyone in what he needed them to do as they either sought out more information, or deposited it onto the table in front of him. It was chaos, but in an organized and orderly manner as only the Saiyruun family could achieve. Spreading a map out across the table, the prince of Saiyruun took a long look at the nations that practically surrounded his nation, and one in particular. Unlike most maps, this one also showed the various lands controlled by independent nobles, and land owners, and his attention was directed to the Northern most area of Elmekia. A red stick pin was poking out of the area just North of the mountainous region, and a small village within the borders of that Duchy.

Barely a few minutes passed before the doors opened and his youngest daughter came in with her hands holding up the front of her pink dress. The frills and ruffles impacted her long legs as she ran flat out toward the large, circular table that her father was hunched over. Within the past couple of years, his daughter had grown to be tall, curvacious and yet never seemed to lose that youthful innocence. For a moment she reminded him of his dearly departed wife, and Prince Phil gave a sigh of contentment that he'd raised his daughter right. The run across the main hall would have taken any normal woman in heels a good minute to traverse, but Amelia Wil Tesla Saiyruun was no normal woman, and she spanned that distance in less than half that time.

"Daddy!" she called out coming up to the table seconds after entering the room. By the time she arrived the entire table was literally covered in scrolls. Parchments, maps, quills, and ink were set off to the side of the prince, his eyes practically boring a hole in the paper. "I just heard from one of the refugees about the earthquakes. Why hasn't Lord and Lady Marfaan asked for assistance before now?"

"I don't know." Prince Phil announced as he picked up the parchments detailing the destruction from the aforementioned area. "We've had these refugees for a little over two weeks, but our soldiers and scribes are just now learning about the horrible cataclysm that befell them. Either the Lord and Lady felt that they could handle the problem, and didn't realize the scope of the disaster, or..."

"... or, this could be something even more sinister." Amelia's eyes narrowed as she clapped a hand to her prodigious chest, making it wobble a little, "Somehow I know deep in my heart that something nefarious is going on within the Northern borders of Elmekia. We must send an emissary to them now, if for no other reason than to find out the truth for ourselves!"

"I have already called an emergency meeting of all the nobility in the council in order to ask Lord Marfaan about the disaster," he shook his head slowly, "we have to be diplomatic with them though, so there's very little we can do except ask about the disaster and whether they need more assistance."

Amelia shook her head, looking at the lands that surrounded Saiyruun on the map, the very same one her father was hunched over. Looking it over, she studied the borders carefully. Of all the nations on the border of Saiyruun, only the Northern section of Elmekia was keeping back information that would normally be considered common knowledge, while offering little in the way of domestic trade and common courtesy. "I still say we should have, at least, a small group ready to head into Elmekia to meet with the Marfaan's, if for no other reason than to ensure goodwill toward our neighbors to the East." Amelia remarked with her arms crossed under her breasts.

"I agree with you, but we can't send anyone into their lands without an official reason."

"What about a small group of three or four," Amelia said with a smile, her voice becoming sweet as honey, "a known group of traveling adventurers who have no ties to Saiyruun?"

"If we could find a group like that, then..." the prince started to say before blinking and looking up into his daughter's smiling face, "Oh no! You didn't..."

Right on cue the door to the great hall opened and a short, slender woman strolled in as if she owned the place, her pink outfit was offset by the yellow cloth that mostly covered her supple cleavage, the black and red cloak that was fastened around her neck rippled around those skinny ankles while her magical amulets glimmered in the filtering sunlight. A smirk was plastered across her face, while her fiery red hair hung loose behind her back. "Hey, Phil!" she said, waving one of her gloved hands.

Behind her, a tall blond haired man in light blue clothing and dark armor followed in her wake, a sword belted to his left side. His blue eyes watched the area as he smiled at the pair. On his hands a pair of gauntlets covered from the middles of his fingers to the tops of his forearms. His sword, although not aesthetically appealing to look at, was considered one of the most powerful swords in existence since he'd lost his family heirloom; The Sword of Light. It's silver hand guard held a singular blue gemstone, which would turn a different color when the blade was impacted with a spell. It was known as the Blast Sword, and nobody could wield it better than Gourry Gabriev.

"Miss Lina!" Amelia called out waving to them, "Mister Gourry. What are you two doing here?"

Lina stopped for a moment, looking perplexed. "What? You sent us a..." she then noticed the rapid movements of Amelia's hands before nodding almost imperceptibly, "I mean, we were just in the neighborhood... you know, passing through really, and we thought we'd come by to visit."

"Oh! What a remarkable coincidence," Amelia said, putting too much emphasis on the words before continuing, "it just so happens that I'm going to be free for a few months and would love to go out traveling with you again."

Lina blinked, looking at Amelia. Over the past four years, Amelia had been practically shanghaied into some of their adventures instead of going willingly. Because of that, on more than one occasion, the young woman had either nearly died, or was badly wounded. In spite of the fact that she was a constant reminder of Lina's own shortcomings as far as body structure was concerned, the slightly older sorceress still looked at Amelia as a little sister of sorts, and definite friend. "Sure. Where would we be going this time?" Lina asked.

"I'm not sure," Amelia said before turning around and seeing the glare on her father's face. Clearly he could see through her little tactics by now. Spinning back around, she smiled continuing her conversation as if nothing had happened, "perhaps we should go out and help Mister Zelgadis with his quest to become human again?" The suggestion had thankfully deflected the suspicion away from the current difficulties with Marfaan, and yet she knew Lina Inverse's perpetual curiosity would be piqued by all of the people running around, and the stack of parchments and maps on the table.

"That sounds like a good idea," Gourry said slapping his fist into his hand before looking around, "where is Zelgadis anyway?"

Amelia blinked for a moment, "You mean... he's not with you?"

"Nope," Lina said with a shrug, "haven't seen him since you both helped us find the Blast Sword for Gourry."

"But... that was more than six months ago." Amelia said, worry in her voice. "He said in his last letter that he would find you both once he'd visited his home town, but that was over a month ago." She didn't voice the fact that she'd been eagerly waiting his next letter, only to have the day go by of its arrival without so much as a hint that it was coming. They had agreed to keep in touch every couple of weeks, but to never let a letter go longer than a month before corresponding to one another with information about what was going on in their lives.

At first she had convinced herself that he was traveling and would make contact when he met up with Lina and Gourry, but the fact that they hadn't seen, or heard, from their friend meant something was seriously wrong. "I wouldn't worry too much about Zelgadis," Lina said rubbing at the back of her head, "he can take care of himself."

"I suppose." Amelia had seen Lina do that before, and she knew the sorceress usually did it when she was worried but not wanting to show how she felt. "Still it feels like we're not complete without him."

"We could just go to his home town and pick him up." Gourry recommended.

"That's a great idea, Mister Gourry." Amelia said happily "I'll go get his latest letter telling me where his home town is, and we can head out to get him."

Practically running past the pair, Lina seemed pleased to see Prince Philionel with his arms crossed over his chest, his head shaking. She knew from previous history with the Prince of Saiyruun that he didn't mind his daughter's over-enthusiasm, nor did he object to Zelgadis in the slightest, but there seemed to be something on his mind even as the fiery young woman walked up to the table. "So... Phil, what's going on with all these maps and scrolls?"

"I'm sure it's nothing you'd be terribly interested in, I've just had to call an emergency meeting because of a natural disaster centering near the town of Malachi. Apparently there was an earthquake, and a massive fissure opened up, destroying many buildings and many lives." the prince then went on to point out where the disturbance had been, North of the mountains of Elmekia, close to the border of Zephielia.

"Do you want us to check it out for you?" Lina asked.

"Absolutely not! I can't have anyone from Saiyruun entering Elmekia no matter what their intentions! It would look as though Saiyruun has no faith in Lord and Lady Marfaan to take care of their own people!"

"Well," Lina looked at the map then at Phil's face, "do you?"

Turning his face away, Phil shook his head, "That is beside the point, Lina." he said, and yet the young woman didn't miss the body language, "Any way, there's going to be an emergency meeting, with the express desire to learn more about this earthquake and offer more aid. I don't need an international incident based on idle speculation, and fear."

"Okay, okay." Lina waved off the prince's remark before using her hand to fluff out her hair as they heard the sounds of heels approaching. "Besides, it's like you said 'It's nothing I would be terribly interested in'."

"I found the letter!" Amelia announced, waving the parchment around before handing it to Lina. "He even made a small map of his home town, and the location of his family house." The younger woman was actually looking at the map Zelgadis had drawn, a look in her eyes that her father hadn't seen before now. It was only then that he saw the height difference between the two women, with Amelia's eyes being roughly the same level as Lina's black bandana.

Lina read the letter, but her eyes stopped, widening on the one word that she knew would only gain them more problems than solve. "Lina." Gourry said softly, pointing to that one word. "That name..." he paused for a while, making Lina nod, "I know I've heard it somewhere before... but I don't know where."

The desire to slap the stupid out of Gourry was so overwhelming that Lina just rubbed at the top of her head, feeling an ache coming behind her eyes. "That's because, Gourry, the name wasn't even mentioned more than two minutes ago."

"Oh... what?" the swordsman asked.

"What do you mean, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked, looking away from the small drawn map in her hands.

"Prince Phil, can you tell Amelia where that earthquake's epicenter was, while she reads the name of Zel's home town?"

Phil blinked twice, "Uh, well, sure..." he said while Lina handed over the letter, so that Amelia could find the appropriate sentence, "I believe it was called Malachi."

Amelia's eyes widened, "No... the... the earthquake... at Mister Zelgadis's home?"

"That's what it looks like," Lina said softly, "so now we **have** to go there, just to make sure he's alright."

"You... You can't..." Phil started to protest.

"Listen," Lina said to the prince, "we're going, not for Saiyruun, but for our friend. If they want to make an international incident out of it, it's on them, but I'm going no matter what anyone says." she then looked at Amelia, "I'll be leaving in one hour, if you want to go with us, then get your stuff."

It didn't take the young princess ten minutes to change into her traveling clothes, and even less time to get to the courtyard where Lina and Gourry were already waiting for her. Prince Phillionel was apparently arguing with the fiery sorceress about going into Lord Marfaan's lands with his daughter, and without the permission of the country of Saiyruun. "... if they even suspect that you're coming from Saiyruun in order to spy on them, it could start more than just an international incident..."

"We're not going to start an international anything, Phil." Lina said with a smile, "Besides, your daughter's going incognito, and we're only heading out to make sure Zelgadis is alright. Once we're all together, there won't be any reason to stay in the country, and we'll return after that."

"Regardless, the fact that you're going into the nation means that Saiyruun cannot support you in any way possible."

"Don't worry about it," Lina said waving her hand at him as the implications of his words didn't reach her, "besides I doubt we'll have any problems while we're in the country."

Amelia arrived just as her father thrust his hand out to her. "Hand it over, Amelia."

"Hand... what over, daddy?"

"You're balance book."

Moments later, Lina blinked, looking at the prince. "Why would she need to hand over that?" she asked, perplexed, as Amelia reached into her pocket and pulled out her Saiyruun Royal Balance Book, handing it over to her father.

"I said that Saiyruun would not support you while in Marfaan, and I meant it. You'll have to make due without my daughter paying your way for your extravagant tastes the entire time."

"NOW JUST ONE DAMNED MINUTE!" Lina shouted before she was leveled with a single glare from Phil.

"Either her balance book stays, or Amelia does."

"Daddy! Zelgadis is my friend! I'm not going to stay when..."

"I understand that, Amelia, but you have to remember that in Marfaan if you write any checks linking you to Saiyruun, then it's possible that the information will get back to the Lord and Lady, putting not only you in danger, but also possibly starting a war."

Lina clenched her teeth, narrowing her eyes at Phil even as she started to give off a menacing growl. "You... you can't..."

"I am the royal prince of Saiyruun," Prince Phil announced, glaring at Lina, "so unless you want to become enemies of the state, you'll agree to these terms."

Gourry blinked, looking from one to the other before just looking at Amelia. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Daddy's apparently tired of Miss Lina taking advantage of me, and my constant paying for everything, Mister Gourry." Amelia answered with her eyes closed.

"Oh. Well then it's simple." he then winked at Amelia, "We'll just have to make our own way to find Zelgadis." Once he'd said that, Gourry started walking away from the trio, his words stunning Lina from her glaring contest with Prince Phil.

"Gourry?" she asked, as if wondering whether or not he understood what he was saying.

Amelia followed in his wake, happily bounding after him, leaving Lina with Phil standing there. Brushing some of her hair away, the sorceress just shrugged. "Fine, but just remember Phil," she then gave him a smile that would make his blood cold as ice, "once we come back, you **will** be paying me and Gourry back for all the costs while your daughter is with us."

Phil simply crossed his arms and nodded, "Fine. Keep all the receipts and I'll pay you for meals, room and board. Any **necessary** transactions will be taken out of the royal treasury, but nothing more."

The glare Lina leveled his way showed the small woman's displeasure and yet she still said "Deal."

Lina turned and headed out after them, '_Heh heh, if only he knew how much I had on me right now. Not to mention the new multiplication spell I have which will triple or quadruple those receipts._' Catching up to Gourry and Amelia just outside the walls of the city, Lina looked at the taller woman, "Which direction are we going to take?" she asked.

"If we were to head Northeast, it would be a more direct line." Amelia remarked, looking at the fire haired sorceress.

"Yeah, but if we head in a direct line, then they could call us spies for Saiyruun too."

Gourry blinked looking at the pair, "Why don't we just go North, then East?"

Looking at Gourry, Lina glared at him, "Sure, jellyfish for brains, let's climb snow covered mountains, spend possibly weeks trying to traverse deadly chasms, rocky cliffs, and possibly get killed with deadly avalanches."

"Oh, yeah." he said touching his chin with his forefinger before speaking again, "Then we can go around the mountains."

Lina suddenly slapped Gourry across the face with her slipper. "Do you have a brain cell in that empty space between your ears?" she asked, glaring at him. "The mountains extend all the way into Elmekia, with the only break around the Northwest area of Saiyruun. If we have to do that, it will take forever to get to Malachi."

Amelia held up her fists in front of her face, "Please, stop fighting..." she wailed, "we need to get to Mister Zelgadis soon. Who knows what terrible danger he could be in right now."

Lina gave a sigh of frustration, "Okay, Amelia." she then smiled at the younger woman, "Where do you suggest we head?"

Pulling a rolled up parchment from under her cloak, Amelia opened it in front of the pair. "Mister Gourry is right about going around the mountains, but there's a pass here that leads due North." she remarked pointing to a spot on her map.

"Really? Since when?" Lina asked.

Smiling, Amelia looked up at Lina as she spoke, "Only about three months ago. We asked a local to help make a better trade route to the North, and he managed to create a path through the mountains."

"That sounds perfect." Lina remarked "Where does it come out?"

"From what I can tell, it stops close in the nation of Zepheilia."

"WHAT?" Lina shrieks, tearing the map from Amelia's hands, her nose barely an inch from the paper. Suddenly she screamed in terror, throwing the parchment up into the air and ran over to a rock pile. The sounds of cutting and digging were heard as a massive dust cloud enveloped the area. Amelia and Gourry looked at each other, blinking before looking back at where Lina had disappeared only to see a headstone, the words "Here lies Lina Inverse", on top and "Murdered by her sister... horribly" on the bottom. A large patch of freshly turned earth sat in front of the headstone, while a small collection of red roses, the only plants in the area, rested upon the newly dug grave.

"Miss Lina?" Amelia asked, taking a tentative step forward.

"I can't go there!" came the muffled voice, "I'll... I'll be killed if I do!"

"Please, miss Lina..." Amelia whimpered. Poking her head up from the grave, Lina looked at the younger woman as she collapsed onto her knees. "Please help me... I... Mister Zelgadis..." tears started to come to her eyes as Amelia looked at the head of the woman in front of her. "He may be hurt... or worse..."

"Now, Amelia..." she started to say before gritting her teeth with a grunt, "OH COME ON!" she yelled before looking over at Gourry, who just stood there blinking at her. "A little hand here, Gourry?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"What? Oh, sure." Gourry answered. Walking over, he reached down and plucked the young woman out from the self made grave. "Gee, it's a good thing you're so skinny, or I wouldn't have been able to pull you out."

Gritting her teeth, Lina thought of several things she could do to the warrior, but then she saw Amelia again she decided to take care of one problem at a time. Dropping down in front of to her, Lina placed her hands lightly on the younger woman's shoulders. "Listen, Amelia, I'm sure that Zel is fine. He probably wasn't even there when the earthquake happened, and is just trying to help the people of his home village."

"Really, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked, tears still glistening her eyes.

"Of course. Why, I bet we won't even get to..." she suddenly shivered in fear as she said the last word her voice taking on a quavering note, "Zephillia."

Amelia looked up with a smile, "You're right, Miss Lina. I should be more trusting of Mister Zelgadis's capabilities, and his kindness."

"Come on. We'll head East until we're close and then head North through the pass. Who knows, we may even see him on the way there." The trio started to head in the direction of the rising sun, with Lina's and Amelia's capes rippling at their backs, Gourry walking along beside them. '_At least... I hope we do._'

_Three weeks ago..._

Zelgadis stepped into his ancestral home, a swirl of dust coming up from the beige carpet. With each step the carpet's red color came out from under his foot, while thousands of cobwebs hung from the ceiling. On either side of where he stood, cherry wood bannisters curved around to an upper level where a portrait of his mother and father sat, with him as a baby on her lap. Looking in front of him, he saw a pair of double doors that the broad carpet flowed into. Further along, the building spread out showing double doors on either side, before turning a corner and disappearing. Standing there, he felt the sadness and despair that his parents must have felt. Although not an overly religious man, Zelgadis still closed his eyes and bowed his head, clapped his hands twice, and prayed for his parents souls to finally rest in peace.

When he opened his eyes, he almost thought he saw something out of his peripheral vision. Turning to take a better look, he noted a small movement heading into a room on the second floor. '_My old room._' he thought to himself, a small shiver going up his back. Walking slowly, he started up the steps on the left, hearing the creak of the wood under his feet. Although much heavier than any normal person, the old wooden steps still held his weight as he reached the second floor. For a brief moment he looked at the happy smile of the baby in the portrait, before starting for what had been his old room, his mind thinking about how he had changed in the past two decades.

Upon arriving at the doorway, he saw that nothing had changed. His old room still had several stuffed animals, a small bed meant for a child, a chair and small table where Eris or his mother would sit and read to him, and a chest of drawers against the wall to the side. Stepping into the room, he looked around, tears glistening in his eyes at the memories flooding his mind. "I shouldn't have been gone for so long..." he said softly, his throat tight from grief. Walking over, he saw that his old stuffed bear was still on the chair. Reaching down, he picked up the small item and sat down on his bed, holding it against his chest with his eyes closed. "I'm sorry." he slowly shook his head, "A letter... a visit... I should have done something to let you know I was alright."

A small glow started to grow in front of him, but he didn't even open his eyes for several seconds until the body of his mother coalesced, sitting down in the chair she'd occupied the night she had died. When he did look at her, there was no fear, no regret, only calm contentment and a love he'd never felt before in his heart. Her hand reached out, as if her fingers wanted to touch the cheek of a son she hadn't seen in a decade. Zelgadis didn't move as her fingers went through the stone skin that now graced his entire form. There was no pressure, no indication of her touch, except a slight chill. Nothing denoted the fact that his mother was trying to caress his cheek, and yet the fact that she would try made the chimera smile. "I'm sorry... I should have come back sooner." he said softly, his hand going up on reflex to touch his mother's hand, "Please forgive me."

Looking at the face of his mother, the woman gave a smile and nod, bowing her head. It was then that she disappeared, finding the peace of mind and heart to find rest. Moments later the sounds of rock crushing together reached his ears, and the chimera stood, dropping the small bear onto the floor. Turning his head, Zelgadis's ears perked as the house creaked, cracked, and groaned all around him. Standing up, he rushed out of the room. "What's going on here?" he asked as the walkway shattered under him, causing the chimera to fall eight feet to the marble floor below.

Landing in a crouch, he rushed toward the doorway as columns fell, windows cracked and shattered, and the ceiling started caving. He'd nearly made it to the door when the marble under his feet cracked and shifted, throwing him back toward the double doors. Upon crashing through them, it was only then that he realized that the entire building had broken in half, and he was going down with the back half of his family home.

Throwing his arms out he shouted, "Ray Wing!" as an orb of wind started to surround his body.

"I don't think so...!" a voice said out from nowhere. Spinning around, he caught a momentary glimpse of a young teenager in a brown robe with it's front open before the male threw his hands out. A white energy beam lanced out at Zelgadis, who expected his shield to deflect most of the energy. When he felt his body going rigid, he realized that whatever he'd been hit with wasn't a common spell, if it was even a spell at all. Trying to force his arms to work was impossible, and it wasn't long before he blacked out, falling into a massive chasm with what was left of his family home.

_Three weeks later..._

"This is taking forever...!" Lina complained, her body hunched over as she walked behind Gourry and Amelia, the latter practically skipping.

"Come on, Miss Lina." Amelia said, looking back, "I can still see Saiyruun from here."

Gripping the sides of her head, Lina screamed. "I don't want to go! Drop me off in the next town and go without me!"

Amelia started to say something, but a voice behind Lina caused the woman to spin around with her hand open, ready to cast a spell. "Now, Lina. All this noise for a simple town." Xellos remarked strolling by her, unperturbed, "It's not like you're going to meet anyone there you don't already know."

"Mister... Xellos?" Amelia asked, her eyes wide.

"Xellos? What are you doing here?" Lina asked, more than a little shocked and angry.

"Oh, you know me Lina, I'm always traveling."

"Yeah, right!" she growled angrily, "What do you know about the earthquake in the Northern area of Elmekia?"

The demon gave Lina a smile, while poking up his index finger, waggling it. "That... is a secret." he said leaning forward. "I will say that I learned about it quite by accident, and although it piqued my interest, I was more interested in something I heard about just a little East of here."

Balling up her fists, Lina marched forward, "Xellos! Tell me what I want to know now, or so help me..." she threatened as she reached for his cloak. Unfortunately he disappeared before she could even clasp her hand around the cloth.

"Now Lina," he said as the trio looked around, "you know I won't let you hurt me." Looking up, they saw that he was floating just out of range for any of them, "Just know that I'm on my way East to see about some personal business. This information about an earthquake in Malachi, where there hasn't been any tectonic shifts in the entire history of the nation is more than a little suspicious."

"Mister Xellos, do you know anything about Mister Zelgadis?" Amelia asked. "Is he alright?"

"Zelgadis?" he asked "Unfortunately I don't know anything about him, but I'm sure that will change as I travel." Seconds later, he disappeared again, and appeared on the horizon. Turning to wave cordially at the trio, the monster started walking with his perpetual staff tapping at the ground.

"Xellos...!" Lina growled.

"Miss Lina..." Amelia started to say, but suddenly the fiery sorceress was charging past her, going after the self-styled "priest".

"Come on! Get the lead out!" she called back to a surprised Gourry and Amelia, "If Xellos is interested in that earthquake, then you know it can't be good for anyone!"

"Gee," Gourry remarked with a smile, "I guess she just needed some motivation."

"I think that's one good thing about Mister Xellos," Amelia commented with a smile, "he knows just what to say to get Miss Lina moving." A second later, the pair ran after Lina, Amelia's cape flapping in the breeze, while Gourry's hair did the same.

In the trees barely half a mile away, a pair of glowing, white eyes watched the trio, the green fur reflecting back from the sunlight that touched his muzzle. He remembered two of the group, and that memory wasn't the kindest he'd ever had. He narrowed his eyes at the blond swordsman and fire haired sorceress, knowing that he had to keep his eyes on them until he could discern what their intentions. Even so, the beast-man placed his left hand on his sword hilt, the memories of the last time he'd seen them burning in his mind.

Arriving in the next town, Lina practically stormed through, barely registering how people moved out of her way, or were stunned into inaction. "Where is that...?" the rest was left to grumblings as Lina charged right through town, her mind only on wrapping her hands around Xellos' neck. She was so focused on finding Xellos that she completely missed someone calling her name. It wasn't until a beast-man wrapped his arms around her middle, and nuzzled against the young woman's chest that she broke out of her rage induced stupor. "Wh... WHAT?" she asked looking down.

"It's so good ta see you again!" Jillas practically cried out as he hugged Lina, his arms actually pressed against her waist while his nose rubbed against her nubile breasts.

Gritting her teeth, Lina brought her hand up, "Jillas...!" she growled, bringing her hand down on top of his head, breaking his hold on her, and causing him to fall onto his face with a massive knot on top of his head. "How many times to I have to tell you? NO HUGGING?"

"Mister Jillas, what are you doing here?" Amelia asked with a smile, remembering the last time they had seen the fox-man.

"The boss and I 're 'ere ta get some new clay fo' the shop."

"Miss Filia is here?" Amelia asked, her eyes wide, and her smile lighting up her face.

"Lina?" everyone heard to the side as a blond woman in a purple dress walked up with a small black dragon draped over her shoulders. The newly reborn Valgaav lay there, chewing on a cookie, purring the entire time. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I could have said the same thing, Filia." Lina said with a smile, while Jillas started talking to Gourry about how they've been doing at the shop, rubbing the top of his head. Amelia walked up to the pair of women, now practically looking the taller blond in the eyes. Reaching up, she lightly pet the little black dragon, the creature giving a little chirp of approval as the cleric rubbed under his chin. "How has everything been going with Valgaav?"

"Wonderful." Filia said with a proud smile, the little creature leaning up and giving her a lick on the cheek. "He's so loving and playful that I can't help but spoil him a little. What about you? Anything interesting happening to you three?"

Amelia went back to petting the little dragon, receiving a lick on the cheek for her kindness. Giggling, she listened as Lina continued her conversation with the priestess. "Very little. We're actually on our way to a town called Malachi to check on Zelgadis."

"Oh." she looked around for a moment while Gourry stood with Jillas, laughing together about some of the funnier goings on at the shop, "I figured that he was elsewhere in the town when I didn't see him with you immediately." she then noted the look on Amelia's face, "Has... something happened?"

"It's terrible, Miss Filia." Amelia remarked, "There was an earthquake in the town where Mister Zelgadis was supposed to be staying, and we haven't heard from him in over three weeks."

"No! Are you... Are you all heading over there to find him?"

"Yeah. I'm just hoping that we'll find him on the road heading to Saiyruun instead." Lina added, "Although I would feel better if we could get there sooner." The smile on her face had Filia blinking.

"I... wish I could help, but we're due back across the desert by tomorrow morning... I'm... I'm really sorry." Filia added as she rubbed the side of her head with her index finger, remembering the last time she had given a ride to this particular group... especially the part with the carrot. "Well... anyways I hope that you manage to find him. Take care everyone." Waving to the trio, she and Jillas started away from the trio, with Lina glaring at her back, her hands on her hips.

"Do you believe the nerve of her?" she asked Amelia, "and after we helped her out with Darkstar too."

Amelia watched the priestess leave, a little sad that she couldn't have persuaded the dragon to give them one final ride. "Oh... and I had the carrot all set up too."

"Wow. They were nice to talk with," Gourry said with a smile, waving at the pair, "who were they?"

Amelia placed her hand over her face while Lina shook her head, already tired from having to keep reminding her swordsman about everyone they've met along in their travels. "Come on. Let's get a hot meal." Lina suggested as she headed toward an inn.

Sitting down to eat, the trio waited for someone to come over and ask to take their order. A waitress arrived shortly afterward and Lina proceeded to order double portions of everything on the menu, while Gourry did something similar. Amelia, still worried about Zelagadis, only ordered a small bit of food when compared to her two companions. "I still don't know how you and Mister Gourry can sit here and eat all day when Mister Zelgadis could be..."

"Oh will you give it a rest, Amelia?" Lina countered, slamming her hand down on the table, "We're not going to do Zelgadis or ourselves any good if we don't keep our energy up. Besides, I told you that he..." she stopped as the door opened, and a trio entered. There was something about them that made Lina look over each one, as if trying to figure out what specialties each had. Dressed in red, blue, and green hooded cloaks respectively. She could see that each of them were beast-men with the one in the blue cloak being, apparently, a white tiger dressed in armor and carrying a pair of swords. The one in the red was a female mink, her gray furred body covered in a similarly colored sorceress robe. The last one, in the green, wouldn't let most of his face be seen, but from what she saw, his black and white chin reminded her of a house cat. He was also the smallest of the trio, and yet she couldn't see what he wielded, but he walked with an ornately designed staff.

"Miss Lina...?" Amelia asked, looking in the same direction her companion was looking.

Watching as the trio moved to a back booth, Lina narrowed her eyes at their backs, "What do you make of them, Amelia?" she asked.

Amelia blinked, peering at the trio. "Just a... group of travelers. Why?"

"Don't you think it's odd that they would come in with their hoods up?"

"Not really." Amelia answered, "A lot of people come into Saiyruun and don't want to pull down their hoods. It's not like they're doing anything wrong by not showing their faces."

"It just... seems suspicious to me." Lina remarked. At about the same time as their food arrived, the trio were greeted by the waitress, and Lina watched as they ordered. Throughout the time that she, Gourry, and Amelia ate, she looked over at the trio as their food arrived, and they started to eat as well. When the trio were done, they calmly paid for their food, and started for the door.

The smallest one, however, stopped and jogged over to Lina, who reached under her cloak for the dagger she carried. When he was only a few feet from her, he leaned up and whispered something into her ear. She listened for a few seconds, her eyes widening at one point, before looking at him. A second later, the trio watched as he brought up a hand, cordially pulled on his hood, and then ran to rejoin the others at the door.

"Miss Lina..." Amelia asked, "what did he say?"

Lina watched as the three of them left. Leaning back, she placed her hand over her heart. "He... He said..." she then looked at Amelia, "I... I'm going to get a room at the inn." Standing up, she headed for the innkeeper, and spoke with him about purchasing a room for each of them, while Gourry and Amelia sat there, stunned.

"Do you know what that was about, Amelia?"

"I'm afraid I don't, Mister Gourry." she then watched Lina's movements as she headed for the room. The waitress that had brought them their food, also brought Gourry and Amelia a key each. Neither of them saw Lina again the rest of the meal, leaving Gourry to finish eating the food they had ordered. On her way to her room, Amelia passed a room with Lina's voice coming out. It sounded like she was having a conversation with someone. '_What's going on?_' she thought, leaning against the door to hear.

"... nothing you can do..." the strange voice said.

"How can you be so sure? Maybe I can..."

An abrupt silence was the only warning she had before the door was wrenched open causing her to cry out as she fell forward.

"AMELIA?" Lina shouted as the cleric flopped, face first onto the floor.

Looking up sheepishly, she saw that the three cloaked individuals were standing there with the smallest of them holding the handle to the door. "I told you we were being spied upon."

"I'm... I'm sorry, Miss Lina..." she tried to apologize, "but I was worried when you didn't come back... and I..."

Standing up from her bed, Lina stomped over. Reaching down she yanked the young girl up off her feet and held her at eye level. "That gives you no right to eavesdrop!" she shouted. Closing her eyes, the younger woman watched as Lina's left eyebrow twitched, her arm shaking. Twisting, she threw Amelia onto the bed, the younger girl crying out again before she landed onto the mattress.

"Please... Miss Lina... I..."

"Close the door." Lina Inverse said, her voice going cold as she walked over to the young woman. The smallest of the group closed the door without being told twice as Lina sat down next to Amelia, her strength drained. Looking down at the floor, Lina gave a deep sigh, "Tell her." her voice was so soft, that it stunned Amelia to hear such tenderness.

"Very well." the white tiger said before walking over, and offering his hand to the young woman. Amelia looked at Lina, and then him, before reaching up. The moment her small hand was in his over-sized one, she was helped into a more comfortable sitting position. "I apologize, Amelia Wil Tesla Saiyruun, but the news that we had brought Miss Inverse wasn't the best." he said in a soft, yet deep, voice. "Over the course of the past few months, adventurers have been disappearing. Some have been the most powerful in the land."

"We have been traveling from nation to nation in order to warn people of what's happening, but unfortunately the only ones we have found were you three." the Mink added. "I am Melanie. With me are James," she motioned to the tiger before motioning to the smallest of their group, "and Andy."

"A few weeks ago, we arrived in the village of Malachi where..." the smallest of them started to say, until Amelia interrupted him.

"That's where Mister Zelgadis was supposed to be!"

James nodded, "We know." he said softly, "There was a report that he was in that village several weeks ago, but by the time we arrived the entire village was practically wiped out, and he wasn't anywhere in the area."

Lina looked over at her, "That's not the worst part..." she said softly.

"His disappearance happened only a few days after the Cephied Knight, Luna Inverse, was reported missing by her companion, Spot." Melanie remarked, her gentle voice going even softer, "He... informed us that there was only one person that he knew who could find both of them, and begged us to help."

"Miss Lina?" Amelia asked.

"Yes." James answered, "Spot believes that if we enlisted the aid of Lina Inverse, then we might be able to find her missing sister, a shrine maiden from Sairaag named Sylphiel, Zelgadis, and several others that have disappeared."

"But, that didn't sound like the conversation I interrupted..."

"I was telling Miss Inverse that there was nothing she could do about the disappearances other than look for those that had gone missing, but she saw fit to interrupt." Andy said softly.

"Do you blame her? Three of those names are our friends, and one of them is her sister..." Amelia remarked.

"She's... my only family."

"Then we'll just have to go out and find them." Gourry said slapping his fist down onto his palm, causing Lina to jump almost to the ceiling.

"What the...?" she asked, looking behind her at the blond swordsman, "Where did you come from?"

"Downstairs."

"How did you get in here with someone in front of the door?" Lina asked, her eyes wide.

"The window." Gourry pointed behind him with his thumb.

Lina sat there, her mouth gaping open, "Why didn't you use the door?"

"I didn't want to be rude and hit someone with it when I came in."

"Were you listening the whole time?" Amelia asked.

"Not the whole time, but I managed to pick up on the basics."

Lina slapped her hand against her forehead, "I'm afraid to ask... but... what did you pick up on, Gourry?"

"Someone's kidnapping people, and it's up to us to find them, free them, and bring the ones doing it to justice..."

Blinking, Lina looked over at Gourry, shocked that he could have announced the basics of the problem so succinctly. "That's... That's right..."

"First we'll have to pick up... oh... I know his name... it's right on the tip of my tongue..."

"Zelgadis?" Lina asked, her eyes narrowed at him.

"Yeah. That's his name..." Gourry remarked.

Slapping him across the face with her slipper again, Lina shouted, "LISTEN TAPIOCA FOR BRAINS! HE'S ONE OF THE PEOPLE MISSING!"

Gourry rubbed the side of his head, "Ohh, then I guess we'll have to find him first." At that moment everyone's faces hit the floor while Gourry sat there rubbing the back of his head, completely clueless about what he'd just said.

Picking herself up off the floor, Lina rubbed at her forehead, grumbling under her breath that she needed to find someone with a memory that was better than a four year old. "I knew Mister Zelgadis was in trouble," Amelia said softly, her eyes cast at the floor, "somehow, I just knew something was wrong."

'_I wonder,_' Lina thought to herself, '_how does Xellos fit into all of this? Surely the race of monsters can't be behind the abductions. What would they need with my sister and Zelgadis?_'

"We shall return in the morning," Melanie said in a soft voice, bowing to the trio, "please be careful, and be safe."

Lina, Amelia, and Gourry watched as the three beast-men turned and left the room, closing the door behind them. When they were gone, Amelia looked at the other two. "If it's alright with you both, I want to continue on our way to Malachi." she said softly, "We may be able to find something that they haven't discovered."

"It's still about three or four days worth of travel, Amelia." Lina countered, "Besides, we know that we're not going to find him there."

The young woman turned her head away, nodding. "I know, Miss Lina, but we have to start somewhere." suddenly she hopped up, striking a pose with her finger pointed out in front of her, "Besides, it's my civic duty as a "Warrior of Justice" to go and help all of those poor people who've been displaced from their homes."

"Okay, Amelia. We'll head to Malachi." Lina said with a sigh, "Besides, I might have to go home anyways and see whether the rumors of my sister's disappearance were true." she suddenly wrapped her arms in front of her body, shivering. Part of her hoped that the people who just left were wrong, and yet a part of her knew that they weren't.

Amelia and Gourry left to get some sleep, but as Lina lay there in the dark, the moonlight filtering into her window, she looked up at the darkened ceiling with trepidation. '_There's no way a simple warrior or spell-caster could best Luna._' she mentally shook her head at the thought, '_It would take someone like Rezzo, Seigram, or Valgaav to give her a challenge, and not just..._' A moment later something caused her to sit up, and look at the door.

It was a soft sound, something that most people wouldn't have caught. Slipping out of bed, dressed in a yellow pair of pajamas, she moved cautiously, reaching for the door handle. A second before she would've opened the door, the handle turned. Stepping back, she moved her hands together, one over the other, and focused her energy. The entire room lit up from the coalescing energy of her fireball before the handle went back into it's normal position. '_Come on... do something... anything...!_' she thought.

"Diem Wind!" she heard from the other side of the door, moments before the wooden portal was blasted toward her. Unable to move out of the way, she felt the door slam into her as she released her fireball. The window opened the moment she struck, and within a second she was falling out of the inn, while her fireball exploded upon contact with the wooden door. The explosion caused flames to erupt out of the window moments after her toes had gone below the frame, so that she could still feel the heat.

"Levitation!" she cried out, pulling up in just enough time for her fabric to flutter against the cobblestones. Raising up, she floated to within a dozen feet of her room.

"Aqua Create!" a moment later, smoke billowed out of the room as the fires were extinguished.

"Source of all power, crimson fire burning bright." Lina pointed her right arm out, pulling her left back as she narrowed her eyes at the window, "Flare Arrow!" A moment later, she released.

"Freeze Arrow!" came the counter, and within a moment the two met halfway between the floating young woman, and the still smoking window. Without giving Lina a moment to recover, she suddenly heard "Bomb Di Wind!"

Lina had only enough time to cry out before the ball of air knocked her upward, throwing her high into the air. By the time she was able to slow down, the young woman was already miles from the town. Slowing her rate of speed, she flew closer to the ground and landed on the rocky path that separated the nations of Saiyruun and Zephillia. Rubbing at her head, Lina grumbled at the fact that she'd nearly lost against another powerful spell-caster. "I have to get back to town, get Gourry and Amelia..."

"That won't be necessary." she heard behind her. Spinning around, she saw a woman with flawless, fair skin, her long lavender hair rippling in the wind. Her perfect hourglass figure was covered in a long gold and dark blue dress. "See, you're about to find yourself a member of my entourage." A second later, she watched as a collection of red eyes opened in the darkness surrounding her. Stepping back, Lina gritted her teeth as the group stepped into the light of the moon.

Her eyes widened as she saw Sylphiel stepping forward, her mace already in her hands, while on her side Zelgadis landed with his sword pointed at her, and his hand open. "No..." she whispered as she continued to look around her. When she saw Fillia step out, her heavy mace in her hand, and Jillas close beside her, Lina stepped back. "I... I don't want to hurt you..." she said, her voice trembling as she turned to see others that she didn't know closing in on her.

"Don't worry. You won't hurt any of them." the woman said with a pleasant smile. "Will she, my little princess?"

It was then that she saw Amelia step out of the darkness, her eyes glowing like all the others. Lina's eyes went from fearful to vengeful. Slapping her hand down onto the ground, she glared at the woman. "DILL BRAND!" she shouted. A second later, a circle of stone erupted upward, just on the inside of the collection of friends. The stone she was on rocketed up into the sky as she cried out "Levitation!" and started to fly back toward the town. Anger seared into her mind, while tears fell from her eyes. '_Zelgadis!_' she thought, '_It was Zelgadis that attacked me over there! He must have been hypnotized or something._' she shook her head '_Amelia! What am I going to tell Phil?_'

"Elmekia Lance!" she suddenly heard behind and above her.

Looking back, Lina saw the energy bolt coming at her, Amelia flying right behind the slender sorceress. Trying to twist out of the way, she had just enough time to see another of her friends come flying at her. Having leaped from the top of a building, she saw Gourry launch himself at her. '_Oh no! Not you too!_' she thought as he brought out his sword. Dodging upward, Lina watched as the Blast Sword struck the Elmekia Lance, the jewel in the center of the hand-guard glowing brilliantly while the magic was dissipated. Reaching out for the small cleric, the swordsman looked over at Lina who was floating above the pair as his hand wrapped around the younger girl's ankle. "What did you do to make her so mad?" he asked Lina.

'_He's? He's not under a spell?_' she thought as Amelia attempted to shake him off. Finally, she kicked out hard, throwing Gourry away from her. Without thinking, Lina flew at Gourry as he screamed for help. "GOURRY!" she called out, seconds before another Elmekia Lance flew at her, this one from the ground. Looking, she saw Naga, her eyes glowing red as well as she closed in on the swordsman. Once more, Gourry lashed out with his sword, blocking the bolt from impacting Lina's chest. A moment later, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and flew off toward their inn. "They're under some sort of spell..." Lina announced, looking back at the small cleric who was even now closing in on them.

"What do we do?" he asked, "I don't want to hurt her."

Looking down, she actually smiled at the fact that Gourry was still on her side. "We can't fight her, no matter what." Lina remarked as she flew closer to the ground. "Get to our rooms, and gather all of our stuff." she then looked behind her. "I'll keep Amelia busy." It was then that she let go, and Gourry ran toward the inn, while Lina flew upward, chased by Amelia.

The door to the inn opened when Gourry was only a few dozen feet from the place. Holding his sword with both hands, he watched as the white clad chimera stepped out of the dark interior. "Zelgadis." A moment later, his former friend gave Gourry an evil grin before rushing toward him. Blocking the first strike, Gourry went on the defensive, his sword knocking away blow after blow. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Don't you know, Gourry?" Zelgadis asked, "I've always wanted to see which one of us was better."

Bringing his sword to bear, the blond swordsman impacted his former companion's blade three times in rapid succession. A smile suddenly appeared on his face as he leaned his weight into his blade. "Challenge accepted." The fight was brutal and vicious, with both men slashing at each other, deflecting strikes, and blocking to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, Gourry was so intent on dueling with Zelgadis, he never saw the red glowing eyes behind him, and the slender hand coming out with electricity arcing between the fingers.

Lina flew around, barely managing to dodge the collection of spells that Amelia launched at her. Alighting on a roof, she looked up to see the younger woman flying down at the building. "Why are you attacking your friends?" she asked her, "Is this something a "Warrior for Justice" would do?"

"Fireball!" Amelia shouted, prompting Lina to bring her hands up.

"Freeze Arrow!" suddenly a collection of projectiles impacted the fireball, dissipating the deadly orb.

"You have no right to talk about justice!" Amelia snarled, "You've never believed in doing what's right, but instead did only what you wanted! You always took advantage of me! Never once did you think about the people you hurt with your spells, or the lives you've destroyed!" She suddenly lashed out with both hands "Elmekia Flame!"

Falling backward, Lina flipped over, catching her fingers on a window pane. '_Where does all of this anger come from?_' she asked herself, "This can't be, Amelia." she remarked as she kicked off and landed on the balcony next door. "Or can this truly be what Amelia feels toward me."

"Chaos String!" she suddenly heard to her side. Looking she saw the floating cleric barely twenty feet from her.

"Burst Rondo!" A collection of magical orbs impacted the thin webbing, destroying it instantly, while a couple of the orbs impacted Amelia's abdomen, knocking the wind from her. Falling, Lina cried out "AMELIA!" before leaping over and enacting a levitation spell. When they were safely on the ground, she looked at the younger woman, seeing her eyes clenched in pain. "Please... Amelia... I..."

"Gotcha!" the younger woman said, her eyes opening as she brought her hand up. A moment later, Lina was blinded by the lighting spell the cleric cast, causing her to drop Amelia, and clutch at her eyes.

Lina growled, wiping her eyes as she backed up against the wall, "Amelia would never have done something so..."

"What's the matter, Lina Inverse?" that same woman's voice from before asked, "Worried that you taught her too well?"

Unable to see, she listened for where the woman was, only to feel a breath on her nose. Lashing out with a punch, Lina found her wrist grabbed, and her body flipped before she could even counter the move. Slamming down onto her back, the sorceress winced, gritting her teeth. "Thank you, Max. Now then to..." she suddenly stopped talking, "you foolish girl! I need to be able to reach her mind! Blinded, she's of no use to me."

"I'm... I'm sorry, Mistress Baal'Tier." Amelia said softly to Lina's side.

'_Baal'Tier?_' Lina thought silently, '_She... she's a member of the monster race!_'

"No matter. Bring the other one to me." Lina heard as the sounds of shuffling feet reached her ears. "Perhaps with her protector under my command, she'll be more predisposed to do what I say." About that time, Lina's eyes started to clear, as the woman turned her back to the sorceress. Seeing Gourry standing there with a sword at his throat, a dazed look on his face, and three magic users around him told Lina just how hopeless their situation really was. "Listen to my voice, and heed my command. Know that my word is law and sleep deep within your mind, become my puppet for all time." she then snapped her fingers right in front of Gourry's face.

Blinking he looked around for a moment, "Um, was that supposed to make me tired?" he asked "because I didn't feel anything."

"Impossible." she said, looking into his blue eyes. "Look deep, and..."

"Freeze Arrow!" Lina shouted, throwing her weapon at the lower backside of the monster that even now held Gourry's face in her hands. Baal'Tier screamed in a combination of cold, shock, surprise, and pain as Lina leaped up and slammed her hand down onto the ground. "Dill Brand!" Suddenly everyone around Gourry and Lina were thrown upward as she reached out grabbing his wrist. The two ran hard and fast as Baal'Tier screamed in rage and embarrassment with an icicle poking out of a very uncomfortable place.

"Get them!" she shouted "Kill the swordsman, but I want Lina Inverse alive!"

"We need to get out of her quickly!" Lina shouted as she ran.

"May I be of some assistance?" Xellos asked as he ran beside her, causing the sorceress to scream and lunge into a wall.

"Xellos?" she yelled.

"I seem to have gotten here at just the right time." the member of the monster race said with his characteristic smile, "Perhaps I can assist in getting the both of you out of here since it seems as though you have your hands full at the moment."

"We don't..." suddenly Filia in her dragon form flew over the trio, her red glowing eyes spotting them as she turned for a strafing run. "Okay! We accept!"

Looking up with a wicked smile, he wrapped his arms around Lina and Gourry, just as the laser breath lanced out at them. An instant before they would've been incinerated, the trio disappeared. When the collection of former heroes arrived at the destroyed street, Baal'Tier glared at the dragon that was even now turning around in mid-air. "They can't have gotten far. Search everywhere! I want Lina Inverse alive!" Glaring up at Filia and Jillas as the pair searched from the skies, the rest of the group scoured the area around them, with Zelgadis, Naga, Sylphiel, and Amelia going in different directions.


End file.
